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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Paradigms of Lower Extremity Electrical Stimulation Training After Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: February 1, 2018
Acute lower leg transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation increases leg blood flow and exercise capacity in
Thomas K Pellinger1, Catherine B Neighbors2, Joshua C Hefta1
1Department of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.
Abstract:
We tested the hypothesis that two different durations of lower leg transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) increase post-TENS popliteal artery blood flow (PABF), popliteal vascular conductance (PVC), and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Seven subjects (5 male, 2 female) with PAD (67.9 ± 7.4 years; claudication: ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.90) participated in three randomized treatment sessions: control or bilateral TENS (3.0 Hz burst mode, 250 µs) for either 15 or 45 min. PABF (Doppler ultrasound) was measured before and after treatment. 6MWD and time/distance to claudication onset were measured 25 min post-treatment during each session. PABF, PVC and 6MWD increased after both 15 and 45 min of TENS (P < 0.05, post-TENS vs. pre-TENS baseline/control). Our preliminary results suggest that as little as 15 min of lower leg TENS increases leg blood flow and exercise capacity in individuals with PAD.
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